Spike



(No Model.)

J. P. PERKINS Spike. No. 36,511. Patented J'an. u, |ss|.'

v WITNESSES: IIWEN'TOR':

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrren.

JAMES P. PERKINS, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

SPIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 236,511, dated January 11, 1881.

Application filed March 8, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, J AMES PLINEY PERKINS, of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Spikes'for Railway and other Purposes, of which the following is a specification.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is an end view.

The object of this invention is to furnish spikes so constructed that they will not split the ties into which they are driven, will not make a larger hole than they fill, can be readily and accurately driven, will hold securely, and will be economical of stock in their manufacture.

Theinvention consists, mainly, in a spike havin g a squared portion just beneath the head and a triangular portion below this, with one of the sides of the triangular portion in the same plane with one side of the square portion, and with the other two sides of the triangular portion, replacing or cutting off the angles of the square on the other side.

It also consists in constructing the spike with a head projecting in front and at the sides, a square upper part, a triangular lower part having grooved sides and meeting the square upper part with inclined shoulders, and having a wedgeshaped point, as will be hereinafter fully described.

A represents the spike, which is made with a head, B, projecting in front and slightly at the sides in the usual manner. The upper part, 0, of the spike, for a distance a little greater than the thickness of the rail-flange, is made square. The lower part, D, of the spike A is made triangular, and has the three sides concaved longitudinally, as shown in the drawings, the said triangular part being so formed that one of the said concaved sides will be upon the rear side of the spike A and in the same general plane with one side of the squared part, while the other two sides will replace or out off the angles of the square part and converge upon the forward side to a central edge, leaving inclined or wedge-shaped shoulders E at the lower end of the square part 0. The point F of the spike A is made wedge-shaped and with the longer bevel upon the forward (No model.)

side, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the tendency, when the spike is driven,will be for the point F to run back slightly, drawing the head B forward against the rail-flange. With this construction the spike will accurately fill the hole formed by itself while being driven, and will leave no openings around it for water to enter and rust the spike and rot the wood, causing the spike to become loose. With this construction, also. one of the flat sides of the triangular part D being upon the rear side of the spike A, the spike will not be liable to be pushed back or away from the rail by the pressure of the said rail.

I do not claim, broadly, a triangular spike, nor, broadly, a spike having a head projecting to one side.

hat I claim as new is 1. A spike having a squared portion just beneath the head and a triangular portion below this, with one of the sides of the triangular portion in the same general plane with one side of the square portion, and with the other two sides of the triangular portion replacing or 7 cutting off the angles of the square part, as described.

2. A spike, A, constructed substantially as herein shown and described, with the head B projecting in front and at the sides, the square upper part, 0, the triangular lower part, D, having concaved sides and meeting the square upper part, 0, with inclined shoulders E and a wedge-shaped point, F, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. A spike having its head projecting to one side, and with its body constructed with a square upper part, B, and a triangular lower part, D, having concaved sides meeting the sides of the square part,with inclined shoulders E, and having a wedge-point with a longer bevel on the front side, substantially as herein shown and described.

4. Atriangularspike havingone side straight and a head which is flush with this side but 5 projecting over the angle of the triangle on the other side, as shown and described.

J AMES PLINEY PERKINS.

WVitnesses:

J ULIus E. MINER, JOHN CARTER. 

